After sitting out Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, Natalie Portman is posed to make her return to the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder. But this time, she’ll have more to do than just romance Chris Hemsworth’s titular Asgardian. The new film’s biggest selling point is that it will feature Jane Foster wielding Mjolnir herself and becoming the female version of Thor. Love and Thunder has experienced a handful of release date changes in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, Portman recently provided an update as to when cameras might finally start rolling.
Portman discussed the sequel during a conversation with Serena Williams on Instagram Live (via People) over the weekend. According to Portman, Love and Thunder will start production in Australia “at the beginning of next year.” She also sounds like she’s using her time in quarantine to her advantage. Since her new role as an MCU heroine requires some literal heavy lifting, Portman added that the delay gives her “more time to get jacked.”
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Meanwhile, as Portman continues to bulk up, writer/director Taika Waititi is still tooling away on the film’s screenplay. During an interview with BBC News, Waititi shared his own update about where he is in the writing process.
“I think it’s going really good,” said Waititi. “We’ve been writing the script off and on for over a year and… actually, this week, doing another pass on it. It is so insane and it’s also very romantic. I’m into romances now. I just want to make a romance. I want to make something that I’ve never done or never cared for [and] I would like to attack something like that.”
Thor: Love and Thunder will hit theaters on February 11, 2022.
Are you excited to see Natalie Portman suit up as Thor in the upcoming sequel? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Thor Vol. 1: The Goddess of Thunder
